Sticking with the hobby theme that I’ve been on about “why to podcast,” I met up this week with a hobby podcaster who had a question for me: “What happens when your hobby, becomes your job?”

This is J.D. Frey from The Why and How of Podcasting, and though I don’t really podcast about my hobby… podcasting for me is both a part of my job, AND a part of my hobby.

I dug a little deeper into the question with my friend, and it turns out that she was podcasting about her hobby, but once she had to start spending so much time on it, she didn’t enjoy it anymore. I obviously don’t think that this is specific to podcasting. Many people think that if they could quit their day job and do that thing that they love… the world will be at peace… only to find that their hobby has now become their job.

Well, here are a few of my tips for dealing with an out of control hobby:

Number 1 – Get Another Hobby. If your hobby has become your job, when do you take a break… and what do you do during it? It important to know that too much of anything, even if it is a good thing, is actually bad. I remember reading an article in FORTUNE magazine that talked about cross training your brain. That people think concentrating on one thing is the most productive way of doing something… but it’s actually not. You become more productive at each thing, when you are able to switch back and forth between them. This is especially true if you’re struggling with a job… and can take a break with a hobby. For our purposes, if you’ve quit the job… and are struggling now with the hobby… maybe it’s time to find a new hobby.

Tip Number 2 – Organize and Automate. This is a big one for me… even as a general time saving technique. What are those maintenance items that you take care of? And What do you waste time doing or looking for? Think of things that you can organize or automate to cut down on the time you spend doing them. With podcasting, if you’re writing your own RSS script, find an application that will do it. If you’re having to look up past transcripts to make sure you don’t say the same thing, put them all in a directory and search through them electronically. If you feel like your tied to your computer every night because of something you have to do, see if you can set a job to run, or pre-date something, so that you can take a break.

Number 3 – Find a Buddy. (laugh) And I’m serious about this. Don’t go it alone. Find someone with a similar skill set, passion, hobby, etc. and get them to help. Even if you’re running a successful podcast yourself and need to take a break… tell your listeners what you’re up to and have them submit example podcasts to you. You might find someone out there that would take your podcast for a month and do just fine. It might be fun to have people submit podcasts to you, and if you get enough of them, run them all for a few weeks? You could spend some time ahead of them introducing them or just put the same trailer on the front of every one explaining what’s going on.

So, whether you one – get another hobby, two – organize and automate, or three – find a buddy… the important thing is that you find a way to relieve your newfound stress.

Now, for a quick “how of podcasting”… last week I talked about the Edirol R-09 from Roland. It’s a portable recorder that’s great for podcasting. Though it’s not here yet, I actually just purchased a Zoom H4 recorder. From reviews I’ve read, it seems like a great device and I’m anxious to get it. Though people say it has a bit more noise, it has similar features, it costs less, and it has two built in phantom powered XLR inputs. I’m doing something specifically in a few weeks where I wanted that feature… and, well, actually… I just want to play with it for a while so I can let you all know what it’s like and how it works. If you haven’t heard of it yet, I’ll put a link in the transcript of this podcast to a review of it.

The last thing I want to talk about is a class. After all, podcast education is actually why I started this. If you enjoy these podcasts or my daily blog, you want to learn more about podcasting, and you’re in the Houston Texas area… be sure to sign up for my podcasting class at the Rice University School of Continuing Studies. Space is limited, since we’ll actually be podcasting during the class, and even though it’s in April… people are registering for it now… so sign up quickly. I have a link on my website: thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com. After all, again, that’s what this podcast is for anyway… the class. We’ll be using this podcast to do some fun stuff during it.

Well, that’s it for this one. Good luck with your podcasts and contact me if you have any questions.

About Jeffrey Daniel Frey

Jeff is the Web Services Manager for Enterprise Applications in the Information Technology Department at Rice University. He provides technology solutions for faculty, staff, and students on campus as well as teaches new technology courses. He is involved in the creation of podcasts for businesses and non-profits, and is currently focusing on how new technologies can integrate and benefit universities and businesses alike. Jeff is available to speak or teach workshops on podcasting or other new internet technologies, and can consult with you on your company/non-profit. learn more about Jeff here>>----------- EMAIL JEFF -----------